Alienware, a leader in high-performance gaming systems, has announced the pre-order availability of the Alienware Alpha gaming console. Starting August 12, 2014, gamers will have the opportunity to ensure they are among the first to own the Alienware Alpha. Fans that are eager to get their hands on the Alienware Alpha gaming console will be able to secure their system from select retailers like Amazon and Walmart, or direct from Dell, with configurations starting at $549.

Gamers can now secure their gateway to the entire Steam library on a system that was engineered to provide an immersive PC gaming experience, custom-tailored for the living room. The Alienware Alpha merges the open ecosystem and flexibility of PC gaming with the ease-of-use and intuitive interface of consoles. This enables gamers to choose what and how they want to play, whether it's a competitive online FPS with the bundled Microsoft Xbox 360 wireless controller for Windows, or having their friends bring their controllers of choice for a fragfest in the newest indie side scroller.

"The Alienware Alpha is purpose-built for living room gaming, and represents a new direction for a truly open console platform," said Frank Azor, Alienware General Manager. "With the Alpha, Alienware has made playing fun, new games with your friends in the living room not only simple, but affordable. With the exclusive Alpha-UI, gamers will be able to navigate all of Alpha's core features with only a gamepad, without ever needing a keyboard and mouse."

Alienware developed the Alpha's hardware, design and price to satisfy the demands of gamers everywhere and can be configured with Intel Quad-Core i7 processors, 8 GBs of RAM, 2 TB of storage, blazing 802.11 AC wireless adapter, an NVIDIA's Maxwell-based GPU and bundled with a Microsoft Xbox 360 controller to give gamers the edge they need to game victorious in any room of the house.

To give gamers a great experience right out of the box, the Alienware Alpha will include added content so gamers can start gaming as soon as they get home. Stay tuned as we reveal more but here's a sneak peak at some of the bonus content that will be bundled with the Alienware Alpha.

PAYDAY 2 - An action-packed, four-player co-op shooter that once again lets gamers don the masks of the original PAYDAY crew - Dallas, Hoxton, Wolf and Chains - as they descend on Washington DC for an epic crime spree.

Magicka - A satirical action-adventure game set in a rich fantasy world based on Norse mythology. The player assumes the role of a Wizard from a sacred order tasked with stopping an evil sorcerer who has thrown the world into turmoil, his foul creations besieging the forces of good.

Magicka: Dungeons and Daemons DLC - Something stirs beneath Castle Aldrheim… Deep in the sub-dungeons, long forgotten by the Wizards, the demented ancestors of the Aldrheim Order have awoken an ancient evil. The fate of the world has yet again fallen on the shoulders of our haphazard and colorful Wizards. Will the Wizards survive as they stumble upon Aldrheim's most secret of secrets?

Gauntlet Helm - Exclusive In-game: Champion's Casque - The classic Gauntlet 4-player co-op action gameplay returns in a completely new experience! Battle the endless hordes of foes as you and your friends fight for treasure and glory via both local and online co-op multiplayer. Gauntlet is developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

Alienware also revealed details about the exclusive Alpha UI developed specifically for the Alienware Alpha that gives users an intuitive interface ideal for navigating the Alienware Alpha console with a controller. The Alienware Alpha is set to boot straight into the customizable Alpha UI, giving gamers the control they need to get into their titles and featuring full integration with Steam Big Picture Mode while providing rapid access to configuration options and common settings all without ever having to reach for a keyboard or mouse.

This gives gamers the absolute best interface for navigating their Alienware Alpha from the comfort of their couch with their choice of controller in hand and offers gamers an experience that blends the intuitive interface of a console and all of the power and flexibility of a PC.

Availability
The Alienware Alpha gaming console is available for pre-order on August 12th and will be shipping November of this year in the US with global pre-order availability beginning this holiday season.

Since when a Xbox 360 controller gives an edge over a keyboard and deadly accurate mice? I just can't shake off the feeling i'm trying to fly a 747 with a very soft dildo instead of joystick when playing FPS games with a gamepad...

I thought it would have the Steam OS on it but...nope. Still, quite a bit of bang for a small package. They're definitely pushing Steam Big Picture though. Comes with a decent library of Steam titles too.